Saturday, June 30, 2007

Ode to Quality Television

Last Thursday saw the airing of the final episode of Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. The series lasted only this one season, falling under the axe due to poor ratings. But, what a show!

I stumbled upon it by chance. I knew the gist - from the creator of The West Wing, a series about the behind-the-scenes lives of actors, writers, and execs, producing a Saturday Night Live-esque weekly show. But, that wasn't enough for me. Since my early twenties, TV and I have had a shaky relationship; I only spent time with it when it had something of true quality to offer. However, I'm only now realizing that by cocooning myself so, I may well have missed some shows with actual character and courage simply by being out of the loop. So, as luck would have it, I saw my first episode of Studio 60 while staying with my mom following my dad's passing. I was enamoured. I was hooked.

I never watched The West Wing. Despite the scoops of praised heaped atop the show, I simply wrote it off as something pandering to the desperate leftwingers, forced to live in the Republican 21st century. Now, having fallen under the spell of creator Aaron Sorkin's dialogue and characterization, I'll not only add that show to my Netflix cue, but also his earlier Sports Night, rumoured by some to be the best of the three.

So, on this occasion, I've decided to not simply pay tribute to Studio 60, but make a list of the shows that have mattered to me over the years, knowing now full well that there are some I have missed - and looking forward to discovering them down the road. Therefore, in no real order....

Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip: I've already written plenty. Let me add that - on top of everything else - it's a visual textbook for writing high quality dialogue. If you aspire to write anything, this is a must.

Millennium: While X-Files is what creator Chris Carter will be remembered for, this show didn't push the envelope - it eviscerated it. Dismissed as violent and gory in its first season, Millennium's second season delved into faith, family, metaphysics, trust, and friendship. If I didn't know better, I'd swear it was produced post-9/11. Also, season two comprises the ultimate post-modern conspiracy thriller. Everything produced after is a pale shadow at best. Furthermore, for those of you who prefer some of the more popular, current shows, take note that this was the first series to have a hero who "sees what the killer sees", as well as subjective recreations of crimes. (See also, Medium, all versions of CSI, etc.)

Twin Peaks: Weird, witty, cutting edge - and that's just in the first five minutes of the pilot. This show was once branded by Bravo as "TV Too Good For TV", and it's true. At the time, there was absolutely nothing else like it. Very, very few shows have even come close. I'd like to see someone - anyone - push for a series that details the corruption of a small town, with a main plotline that involves the rape and murder of the most popular girl in school by her own father. HBO? Hello? (Another X-Files note: David Duchovny played a transvestite FBI agent in a couple episodes. Also, his Fox Mulder is clearly an artistic decendent of Twin Peaks' own Special Agent Dale Cooper.)

Star Trek
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
: The original series redefined science fiction for decades to come. The Next Generation broadened Gene Roddenberry's universe, introduced the concept of storyline arcs, and showed audiences that sci-fi shows could have complex characters. Deep Space Nine stepped away from the norm - a starship on a mission - and created arguably the best genre series ever. (You might have noticed I left a couple series from the franchise off this list. That's not by accident.)

Battlestar Galactica: Yes, that would be the 21st century reboot, courtesy of Star Trek: The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine veteran Ronald D. Moore. I don't think I need to reprint too much praise here. I'm sure you know about it. More than likely, you're one of those who didn't watch to begin with, then figured you'd give it a try, and ultimately couldn't believe it was really that good. In years to come, this will be one of those shows people look back upon and realize that it was a trendsetter for the genre and the medium.

Rome: HBO's classic series folded after two seasons, reputedly due to skyrocketing production costs. Pity. Fantastic across the board. It's all here: political intrigue, fierce combat, romance, adventure, comedy - sometimes all in the same scene. I look forward to the future accomplishments of all involved.

The Simpsons
South Park
Family Guy
: I lump them all together for two reasons. One, I was a later comer to each show. Two, they each upped the ante by redefining both comedy and animation. And none of them show any signs of going off the air anytime soon. They must be doing something right.

M*A*S*H: I watched this religiously in my teens. I was one of the umpteen million who tuned in for the final episode back in '83 - still the highest rated single broadcast in history. Much of my own sense of humor comes from this show. I imagine plenty of you - whether you're aware of it or not - can say the same.

Friends: Yes, Friends. I poo-poo'd this show for it's entire run, discovering it only within days of its final episode, thanks to my girlfriend at the time. Watching it with her via the magic of DVD, I was free from all the hoopla - good and bad - surrounding the episodes when they first aired. It's a comedy staple, and - like it or not - a pretty sound reflection of what it was to be young, white, and middleclass at the turn of the century.

Justice League
Justice League Unlimited
: Learned a few things from this animated series. Cartoon superheroes could be complex and interesting. Shows focusing on cartoon superheroes could handle storyline arcs with the best of them. A tight, compelling, complex story could be told in 24 minutes. A truly rare breed: An animated series geared towards adults that was neither goofy comedy nor Japanese manga crap.

The Prisoner: You know all those shows I listed above? None of them would have existed without this one. Don't believe me? Check it out.

I know there are more, but this list is plenty long already.

Studio 60 will be released in October on DVD.

*steps off soapbox*

3 comments:

Anne said...

I would add Freaks and Geeks to the list. I don't know that you've ever watched it...

Anne said...

And The Incredible Hulk!!!!!!!!!!

Unknown said...

Hey, thanks for posting this list; I'll ponder your comments awhile. Millenium is news to me. Galactica, well, it's that girl you dated who wasn't everything she seemed to be when you met her and for the first few months of the relationship, but now, when it's all over, you have to admit she was really something specially, even if she was tragically flawed. I'm just saying.

Interesting that you leave of the Sopranos, which is often credited (in painful excess) with being a show that redefined television and such. I really enjoyed it. Have you ever tried to watch it? Maybe get the first DVD or two of the series from NetFlix if not, just to give it a try.

And Buffy would be on my list. Ann and I watched all of them, in order, thanks to the magic of NetFlix. It's a work of shameless genre pandering and a work of creative genius all at the same time, somehow.